Contrasting styles mark first week of election campaign

BRENDAN TREMBATH: At the end of the first week of the election campaign the Prime Minister has declared that the ALP (Australian Labor Party) is still very much the underdog.

Kevin Rudd has so far pursued a very different style of campaign to the one which saw him take office in 2007.

By contrast, the Coalition Leader Tony Abbott has been constantly on the go.

Our reporter Naomi Woodley is travelling with the Prime Minister, and she looks back on the first week of the campaign.

NAOMI WOODLEY: It was apparent Kevin Rudd in 2013 was going to be a very different campaigner from Kevin 07 when the Prime Minister spent most of the first day of the campaign in meetings in Canberra.

He emerged to announce Labor's first and so far only major policy of the first week - a $450 million boost to before and after school care.

KEVIN RUDD: Out of school hours care is really central - really central - for how families juggle their very complex lives, and their cost of living pressures.

NAOMI WOODLEY: Once his campaign was on the road, Kevin Rudd's first stop was his own Brisbane electorate of Griffith, where he spent several hours debating his rivals.

A school visit was also on the cards, providing colourful pictures for the evening news bulletins in a tightly controlled environment.

SCHOOL CHILDREN (chanting): Kevin Rudd! Kevin Rudd!

NAOMI WOODLEY: In fact, Kevin Rudd spent most of his public time this week in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne in schools or with children.

KEVIN RUDD: Seal.

CHILD: Seal.

KEVIN RUDD: That's right, exactly mate, you've got it! That's a seal.

NAOMI WOODLEY: He held only one or two public events per day, a far cry from the cracking pace of 2007.

At times the Prime Minister appeared tired or distracted, but there was a definite boost in his demeanour when he unveiled the walking political trump card the ALP hopes Peter Beattie represents by contesting the Queensland seat of Forde.

KEVIN RUDD: Well, I am Kevin, I'm from Queensland, and I'm here to help. His name's Peter, he's from Queensland, and he's here to help as well.

Peter Beattie, of course, is one of the great sons of Queensland and he is, whatever your politics, people know who Peter is, know what he stands for, and he is rolled gold Queensland.

NAOMI WOODLEY: The state of the budget was always going to dictate a low spending campaign and that's even more apparent by the end of the first week.

The Coalition Leader, however, has taken a different approach to Kevin Rudd.

AM's Lexi Metherell has been following Tony Abbott's campaign.

LEXI METHERELL: The Opposition's campaign has been on the go and finely oiled.

The rhythm of a typical day reflects the routine of the Coalition's last three years, with a visit to a business like the Petuna seafood processing factory in Devonport.

TONY ABBOTT: These are all the off-cuts in here, are they?

WORKER: These are offcuts…

LEXI METHERELL: The events are made for the TV news, and after the cameras finish capturing the colour for that night's bulletin, the Opposition Leader makes an announcement.

TONY ABBOTT: We have a major new commitment - a commitment to reduce the company tax from 30 per cent to 28.5 per cent on the 1st of July, 2015.

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